It's My Job
by The Mulberry
Summary: Octus'thoughts before he is shut down during "A Family Crisis" SUPER SPOILER ALERT but i guess you Just read that


**set during "A family Crisis" I know this does not follow the exact plotline of the episode, but i had to write something. **

**This would start right after Octus tells Ilana that she is special**

**p.s. who else cried? :'(**

**IF I OWNED ANYTHING OCTUS WOULD BE ALIVE *sob sob***

* * *

It's a frustrating thing to feel powerless.

Useless.

Ilana taps her foot on the floor impatiently. Her heart is beating at an unusually fast rate, and I pretend to not notice the glances she keeps sneaking in my direction.

I can tell she's worried.

Lance is too. I don't see why they are, really. We've been in tighter situations than this before, and we've all escaped with our lives.

I look down, another painful reminder; this actually is a risky mission. My leg is unresponsive, and I can't seem to recharge it. I can barely stand, and Lance felt the only way to keep me alive was by putting me in this refrigerator. Worry is not something I can usually feel, but the emotion soon takes over my systems as well.

I mean what I told Ilana earlier. The only thing I have ever really known is her and Lance, and, well, they're family. They have always treated me as an equal, not a _robot._ I hope they know how much that means to me.

How much I care.

I don't know why, but my thoughts drift to Kimmy. She has not spoken to me in a month. She's one of the three humans I can really connect with, and for the smallest fraction of a second, I briefly wonder if I will ever see her face again.

I realize where my thoughts are headed, and I try to gain back the confidence I had earlier. I look over at Ilana to see that she has begun to tear up.

"Everything will be fine," I say, hating to see her in pain. "Don't worry about me, Ilana."

She stares at me from across the room for the longest time. She tries to hide the tear that escapes her eye. "I hope so..." She murmurs.

I suddenly remember a time in school I found myself cornered by three teenage boys. In my hurry to make it to class on time, I had accidentally knocked one down and it had angered the group.

"Freak!" One of them snickered.

I flinched. The first time I was called the word I had immediately researched the definition and it was enough to make me think. I truly was a freak. Organic, but not machine, I really did not fit into any biologic kingdom of any kind. The second the word escaped his mouth the definition naturally appeared on my screen, and I quickly erased it from my vision. But the words still rolled around in my mind.

**_a .FREAK_**

**1**.**A thing or occurrence that is markedly unusual or irregular**

** abnormally formed organism, especially a person or animal regarded as a curiosity or monstrosity.**

The children saw my reaction, and each began taunting me with the horrible word. I could have killed all of them, had I wanted to, but they weren't the problem.

It was me. I was the freak.

"Hey!" Someone yelled. I recognized the voice immediately. "Leave him alone!"

"Why should we?"

"He has feelings too! Don't you even care you're hurting someone? And besides, if you don't leave right now I am telling an adult."

The boys mulled it over for a moment. A second later they spat their last insults at me before stalking down the hall in the opposite direction.

"Octus," Ilana whispered, touching my arm. "Are you okay?"

I didn't know if I would ever be truly _okay,_ but at that moment I realized something.

Ilana was right. I did have feelings.

That thought helped out knowing I was an outsider, because I also knew then that I was more than an organic robot.

At that moment a series of bullets begin to penetrate the ceiling above us. The roof tears off to reveal a space craft and a cable being lowered down. Relief shoots through me, and I grab Ilana and the cable.

When we reach the ship, I am soon concerned with who we are dealing with. Are these not the same people who kidnapped Lance and Ilana? But I can soon see that the attention is not directed toward us, and that they are mostly concerned with the creature still on the ship.

I bend down and attempt to recharge my leg again, but to no avail.

What does this mean?

I can not find information on any means of technology or beast in my system that has the ability to shut down an object for good. When we return to Earth, how will I be of any use to Ilana and Lance if I can't do combat? What if this affects the formation of Titan? Not to mention I won't be able to pose as "Father" or "Newton" any longer.

Someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn to see Ilana with her hand extended.

I smile.

The Princess helps me limp over to the main gate just as it opens. I gaze down to see Solomon and Lance being hoisted up to the ship.

I calculate how long it will take us to return to Earth. If we make it within the next hour, we can sneak into our house before dawn and avoid any questions concerning my leg. If we could convince Solomon to help us repair it, everything would be fine. We saved his life, so I think the human term "What goes around, comes around" applies to this situation, but I am not sure. I

All my careful planning is blown out of the water when the cable snaps, and Lance plummets back into the station.

"Lance!"

A fear so strong and so great pushes me to jump from the ship.

Robots do not feel this. Robots feel nothing. I am no Robot.

I land smoothly on the ground beside Lance, something a human could not do from such a height.

But I'm _not_ a human. I'm something else.

I cradle Lance against me, and as I stare down at the teenager another flashback consumes me.

Ilana had gone to bed early that night, so Lance and I were downstairs alone. We were discussing the mutraddi creatures and a pattern of their arrival we had almost put together, when I noticed how uncomfortable Lance seemed and how fast his heart was racing.

"Is there something wrong?"

He looked up at me, his face full of an emotion I can not describe.

"I just..." He sighed. "I wanted to thank you, Octus."

Initially, I was surprised. "What for?"

He ran a nervous hand through his long hair, and smiled up at me. "For everything."

"I am just doing my job..."

"I don't mean that, Octus." Lance doesn't smile often, but when he does it is the most genuine thing I have ever witnessed.

"If it weren't for you... it's likely Ilana and I wouldn't be talking. You help the two of us fit in here, you just... make everything easier."

Quite honestly I did not understand what he meant at first. But then he said it, the one thing that forever changed how I viewed myself.

"You created this family. I know you're not just a robot, you're special."

_**1.****spe·cial**_

**1.****distinguished by some unusual quality; _especially_:being in some way superior**

**2.:held in particular esteema _special _friend**

** distinguishable from others of the same category****:****unique**

The same word I used to describe Ilana not even fifteen minutes ago.

I _am_ important. There is a reason I am one of the keys to Sym-Bionic Titan.

Kimmy helped me further explore my capability of emotions. But these two- Lance, Ilana. They have helped me realize I mean something. They are important to me, and I think I understand now that I am important to them as well. They proved that to me earlier with their attempt to celebrate my "birth".We all take care of each other.

We're family. Together until the very end.

Lance opens his eyes, and gapes at something behind me in horror. It takes a second, but I realize that the creature is about to strike.

I realized too late.

A blast of energy shoots through me, and in my desperate attempt to save the boy, I throw Lance out of harms way. The pain is almost unbearable. I know this is the end. I have seconds left, I can already feel my system shutting down.

I smile, though, because I know Lance and Ilana will be okay.

They're family.

They may never forgive me for getting myself killed, but it's alright.

Besides, I'm just doing my job.

* * *

_**~Dedicated to Octus Lunes. A true hero, and a true friend.**_


End file.
